Orthodox rabbi Gil Student blogs:
The Forward has an article about a recent trend of mainstream Israeli singers using passages from the Bible and other religious texts in songs (link). While it is not clear to me how much of this is a sincere attempt to reach out to God and the Jewish tradition, and how much is making a mockery of Judaism. For a particularly egregious example, try searching YouTube for the group ??? ??? (note that you should pause these videos immediately because listening to them is kol ishah according to almost all views, but you can read the post and the comments to the videos).* What does Jewish tradition say about this?
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 101a) writes: "Someone who reads a verse from Song of Songs and turns it into a song or reads verses in a bar at the wrong time brings evil to the world." Rashi explains the case of reading verses in a bar as using the verses to joke around, as a source of entertainment and fun.
Rashi explains the case of turning a verse from Song of Songs into a song as meaning that any verse — even from Song of Songs — cannot be made into a song. R. Moshe Feinsten (Iggeros Moshe, vol. 2 YD no. 142) rules that this also applies to any sacred text, even prayers. None of them may be made into songs. However, he suggests that there might be reason to say that it only applies to verses from Song of Songs, not like Rashi, and therefore there is room to be lenient. (I have heard people sing actual verses from Song of Songs!)
MOSHE POSTS: I’ve always found Sarit Hadad’s "Shma Yisrael" to be beautiful. We should all be inspired that even the pop songs of the state of Israel incorporate sacred verses, thus proving the very Jewish character of the state.
However, in the Sarit Hadad song the chorus goes "shma yisrael elohai"..is she referring to the state of Israel as her god??! ("hear oh Israel my god") Or is she saying "hear oh Israel, and my God", addressing both God and Israel? The answer to this is precisely what Gil is talking about here, whether scripture is being used reverently or heretically. Anyone know the answer in the case of the Hadad song?
Nachum Lamm posts: By the way, if you’re wondering about the motivation of the speakers, remember that the vast majority of Israelis have respect for Yahadut, if filtered in various ways- through a lens of secular Zionism, accompanied by the fact of violation of various mitzvot, colored by a strong dislike of Charedim and the religious establishment, and so on- and so I’d give these, and other, singers the benefit of the doubt and assume they mean this for the greater glory of God. It probably isn’t the way you and I would do it, but we were raised differently.
RAFAEL POSTS: Reb Gil, what about RMF’s chumra about listening to any recorded music at any time of the year due to reason of zeicher churban habayis? That would completely put the jewish music world out of business.
Micha posts: It’s an interesting cultural phenomenon, like Lee Fischer’s version of "Anachnu Ma’aminim Benei Maaminim" becoming the theme song for Beitar Y-m [soccer / football]. And thus, sung on Friday night after a victory!
The question is what does it mean about the heart of the Israeli chiloni? The songwriter clearly was thinking about what the words mean. For example, in "Veha’er Enenu" (I listened with the window blocked, if anyone cares) on only are the words easy and transparent to any Israeli, there is a rap near the end which elaborates on their theme.
I think there is a real longing for G-d, but it’s being accompanied by a new definition of the relationship with Him. One can therefore sing of only having Our Father in Heaven in whom to rely, or to pray that He illuminate us with His Torah, but mean that with no implications of wanting halakhah.
I should point out that something parallel is going on in Chardal (Chareidi dati le’umi) religious revival. It’s an acceptance of ideas from Rav Nachman, Chabad, and R’ Kook to add spirituality, a movement that leaves one allegiance to halakhah unchanged. To emphasize that parallel, the fourth pillar of Chavakuk (Chabad, Breslov, R’ Kook and Carlebach) centers on singing pesuqim!
I’m not saying this as a moral judgment; spirituality without improving one’s observance is to my mind far better than the opposite trend — ever finding more chumros in an attempt to fill a spiritual hole without working on spirituality.
OBSERVER POSTS: Gil, who are you kidding with your first paragraph? – everyone listens to kol isha. That prohibition has gone the way of ituf in mourning, or making a zecher lechurban in the house: it’s just not followed anymore.
Unless you close your ears for the anthem when you go to a baseball game, or close your ears when you hear a commercial, or never watch any movie at all, including disney – then you also dont observe it. Yes, for some you can come up with hetterim thought up by Tosfos with no support that it doesnt apply if you cant see them, but come on – bottom line is, its an issur that’s observed only in the breach.
Gil Student responds: Observer: Maybe in your circles, but not in everyone’s. I’ve personally walked out on kol ishah many times, often accompanied by other frum men.
Also, there is a difference — already mentioned in the Rishonim — of being forced to listen to kol ishah and choosing to do so.
Y. AHARON POSTS: RMF’s view of music is not generally accepted – at least, from what I have observed in both Hareidi and MO circles. As to turning verses from Shir Hashirim into song, the title of the sefer should be a sufficient indication that song is appropriate – given the right motivation. I have heard the verse, "Hevi’ani el bet hayayin….ki cholat ahava ani" song in Mesifta Chaim Berlin in the presence of Rav Hutner. In fact, the composer, as I understand it, was one of his close talmidim. If teen-age boys can sing, "ki cholat ahava ani" then anything in Shir Hashirim can be made into song.
ARI POSTS: I can’t question your mastery of halakha, but I think you may be oversimplifying what it is we’re seeing here. Commercial music like this almost certainly counts as entertainment and therefore fun (after all, that’s the point of commercial music), but the use of biblical imagery in secular Israeli music also reflects something deeper. Secular Jewish Israelis are trying to figure out their identity – just what does it mean to be non religious in a Jewish state? What part of your cultural identity is based on the religion which gave birth to the state when you reject the religion but not the state? I watched one of eshet chayil’s videos (im ishkacheh yerushalayim), and I don’t see anythign derogatory in there. What I do see is a secular call to identify with parts of Judaism, albeit not the traditional ones. We’re seeing the building of a new cultural identity here – let’s give it some time and see how it develops.
